Little Spock's stories
by Haloa
Summary: One-shots about Spock's childhood... Reviews are appreciated.
1. One lie

**One lie.**

Spock, eight years old, sits on a stone bench. This is his favorite place in his mother's garden.

He is alone, among the roses and other flowers from distant planets. Usually, this environment brings him a sense of security and peace, but not today.

In the distance, he hears his mother in the kitchen. She is singing merrily while preparing pecan cookies, his favorites.

He sighs. How to fix this mess? Can he tell her the truth without hurting her?

Deep in thought, he doesn't notice his father's arriving.

Suddenly, his breathing gets faster and warmth invades his cheeks. No doubt that his ears took a darker green color.

Control your body, control your fear, control your shame, he repeats in his mind.

"Father..." He whispers, bowing his head.

"Why are you not in the kitchen with your mother, my son? Does she not need your help?"

"Father, I must confess a lie."

"Explain yourself, Spock." Sarek says, without anger nor deception in his voice. He is now sitting beside his son on the stone bench, his fingers intertwined in a meditative position.

"Father… Do you remember when all parents were invited to make cakes to celebrate the end of the school year…and Mother baked a batch of cookies with pecans and almonds for my classmates and teachers."

"I remember very well. You came back home with two empty baskets. You said that the cakes were all appreciated and eaten."

"Well…This was true. But …not entirely true."

"What has really happened, Spock?"

"When I arrived at school, I put the baskets on the table. I arranged each tray of cookies among the other cakes made by the other mothers. Then, my teacher, T'Larhi, without eating one cookie, claimed that Terran cakes were not healthy food… They were unfit for real Vulcan consumption. She told me to remove them from the table and to give to the selhats of school all the cookies."

"I see…All the cookies were appreciated and eaten by the selhats…not by your classmates and teachers." Sarek says, trying to contain his anger and happy to not be in front of the xenophobic teacher…

Spock remains silent a few minutes. He remembers this day and how he felt so ashamed.

"Father, I didn't want to lie to my mother nor you, but I knew that Mother would be sad and angry if I told her the truth… Father, can a lie not be preferable to the truth when the truth is hurtful?"

"Well my son, sometimes it is indeed preferable to lie…"

"Have you ever lied to my mother?" Spock asks quickly, not letting the time to his father to explain himself further.

"Spock. I'm Vulcan. Vulcans do not lie…But I'm also a diplomat…In some situations lying can help …"

"So …Can you help me with Mother? She is in the process of cooking the fifth batch of cookies…" Spock says to his father, his eyes are pleading.

"She is cooking for tomorrow?"

"Yes, Father. Tomorrow, each student must disclose his science project to all teachers… There will be a small award ceremony and an afternoon snack."

"Your mother has opened the mail from school, which invites the mothers to cook for the party?" Sarek asks.

"Yes." Spock says, sadly.

"Spock, go to your room. I will explain to your mother."

Spock got up without saying a word, trying to contain the flood of emotions that assailed him. He could not cry in front of his father.

One hour later this same afternoon, while lying on his bed, he hears his mother's screams and cries...And begins to cry with her.


	2. Unsolvable problem

Thank you for your reviews! I am so glad that you liked the first one-shot. In this new chapter, Spock will discover an old story from Earth ( from China, but I am not sure). I hope that you will enjoy it!

Haloa.

Unsolvable problem

**Another day is over and Spock can finally go home, the insults of his classmates still ringing in his ears. This school day was not the worse, he thinks bitterly while approaching his house, but that day deserves to be in the Top 10! **

**Spock sighs…**

**First of all, his teacher chose him among all his peers to solve an unsolvable problem. He didn't choose his neighbor, no, he chose HIM! **

_Luck doesn't exist…It is only a matter of probabilities…REALLY?_

**Standing in front of all his classmates, he had to explain his reasoning, step by step, because of course, this was an oral exercise. **

**This was a problem of logic. Spock had all the keys. He knew all the formulas to find the solution. He tried all the combinations in his mind and despite all of this…he failed. **

**Of course too, the other students mocked him. Some children whispered words at his attention like 'half-bred' or 'half-human'… Then someone said that humans were known to have an illogical brain … and someone else added that Spock's brain was probably damaged!**

**They stopped suddenly when the teacher asked if someone volunteered to help his comrade…**

**Silence…**

**There were no volunteers. **

_How humiliating! _

**Then, after a few long minutes, the teacher said that the lesson was over…as his torment. His teacher added that they had until tomorrow morning to find the answer! **

**Now, Spock is sure that nobody else than the teacher had the solution of this problem…Because if one of them had found the solution he would have proclaimed it loudly in order to humiliate him more!**

**But this is not an excuse! Surely if he had been alone, in front of his computer, he would have found the answer… Spock knows that he is unable to speak in front of his peers…Emotions invade his mind when his classmates look at him as if he is an alien or a monster…**

_You are so shy, so weak…so human._** He repeats to himself. How he would like to be such a brilliant orator like his father, Ambassador Sarek!**

**With little consideration for himself, he enters the garden. He stops, surprised at the sight of his father offering some cup of ice tea to his human grandfather, Charles Grayson.**

"**Surpriseeeee !" His grandmother and mother shout in unison.**

_Oh no…In the Top 5…In the Top 5…_

"**Oh my! Come on darling!" The old woman says while coming near Spock who stays petrified!**

_No, no …Don't touch me! Don't pinch my cheeks! Please! Father, help me!_** He thinks, trying to reach his mind telepathically!**

**His father rolls his eyes, in a very human way, Spock thinks angrily! Thankfully, his grandfather intervenes!**

"**Judith! Stop kissing this poor boy, he is uncomfortable! Have you already forgotten what Sarek and Amanda said about the sense of touch on Vulcan?" Charles says.**

"**Oh I'm sorry but it is so long since I have seen him! And look at him! He is so cute!" His grandmother says merrily.**

**Spock is now protecting his cheeks, already greener than usual, with both his hands.**

"**Greetings, Grandfather and Grandmother! I am surprised to see you here!" He finally says, while looking at his parents.**

"**Your mother thought that it would be preferable to hide from you their arrival …to make you a good surprise!" Sarek explains.**

_Is it a joke, Father?_

"**Come on, my little boy…How was your day at school?" Charles asks.**

_In the Top 5 again…_

"**Well, I had a bad day…" Spock says with sincerity and seriousness while accepting a drink from his father and a slice of cake from his mother.**

"**What happened, Spock?" Sarek asks, masking his concerns. Of course, he fears that Spock tells another story about his xenophobic peers and teacher in front of his human grandparents. Not that they know nothing about these stories …In fact, Amanda spoke to them about these stories already!**

"**I failed to solve a mathematic problem. An unsolvable problem…I tried all the possible combinations in my mind without find the good answer…And of course, my classmates mocked me…referring to my illogical human side…" He explains, trying to whisper the last words for the hearing of his father only! But his grandparents are not deaf! And they sigh in unison with their daughter while Sarek gently touches his son's shoulder.**

"**There is no unsolvable problem, my son!" Sarek says. Is he speaking of the mathematic problem or the hatred of his peers for himself?**

**Spock sighs, bowing his head.**

"**Your father is right, my grandson!" Charles adds with a small smile. There is always a solution, at least for us, Humans!"**

"**Indeed…"**

"**Spock, this reminds me of a story my mama told me when I was a child, your great-grandmother Hannah Grayson! Do you want to hear this story?"**

"**Yes, Grandpa!" Spock says, using the nickname of his grandfather to please him.**

"**This is the story of the young girl and the two pebbles. Like all the stories, it begins with once upon a time…"**

… an old farmer and his beautiful daughter. Both of them live in an old farm surrounded by pebbles. Because of that and a bad weather, the farmer fails to make a good crop. The lands he farms belong to a cruel lord, and this man will come tomorrow to collect his due. The farmer is worried. If he doesn't pay, he and his daughter will have to leave their home or worse: he will be sent in jail and his daughter will be alone in this world! The next morning, as expected, the Lord comes and demands his money. Quickly, he understands that the farmer can't pay and makes him an offer… He erases his debt if his daughter agrees to marry him! The old man is crying now. He knows that his Lord is an odious man and that his poor daughter will be daily abused by him!

The Lord feels that the old man will refuse his offer, so he calls the young lady and tells her that she and the chance will decide for them!

The Lord explains to the young girl that he will put two pebbles in his small brown bag which usually contains the money his father gives him in payment. One stone will be white and the other one will be black. If the girl removes the white stone from the bag, the debt is erased and the young lady, as his father, is free. If she removes the black stone, the debt is also erased but she must marry him! If she refuses to remove a stone from the bag, her father is sent in jail and she will live with her guiltiness!

The farmer is crying. With all these tears in his eyes, he can't see what his daughter sees: the Lord picked up two black stones among all the pebbles that were at his feet and put them quickly in the bag!

The young girl has now three choices.

First, she removes the two black stones from the bag, to prove the cheating of the Lord. If she does so, she takes the risk to be sent in jail with his father or to be killed by the furious man!

Second choice, she says nothing and removes a black stone. She saves his father but marries this odious man!

Third choice, she refuses to pick a stone in the bag. Her father is sent in jail …by her fault. She doesn't marry the Lord but she will stay alone…

"**Tell me, Spock, what do you think about this problem? Two black stones, three possibilities! Is this problem unsolvable?" Charles asks.**

**Spock who is listening his grandfather's story with fascination, is surprised by the sudden question. He looks at his father, then at his mother before answering: "I think …well, there is no other solution that to remove one black stone from the bag…to save my father! But the Lord is a cheater! He has to be punished!"**

"**So …Is it an unsolvable problem?" His mother asks. "What would you do?"**

_Of course,_** he thinks**_, she already heard the story and its end…_

_So …How to erase the debt, keep the farm, save his father and save himself from this marriage! This is impossible and the choice is not easy …No, he doesn't find the solution!_

"**I …I don't know…I remove one black stone …and at least, I save my father!" Spock says.**

"**Thank you my son!" Sarek says with a nod while his wife leans over to kiss Spock, tenderly on the forehead.**

**Like a real Vulcan, he has no reaction.**

"**Grandpa, what did she do? What happened to the young girl?" Spock asks.**

"**Well …She accepted the offer. But while removing the pebble from the bag, she dropped it and the black pebble was lost among the other pebbles at her feet. She said that she was sorry, pretending to be clumsy! But that doesn't matter, she said, because I will remove the second pebble from the bag! … If the second pebble is black, this means that the first pebble was the white, it is logical, is it not? The Lord didn't want to confess his cheating, so he removed the second black pebble from the bag and admitted that the first pebble was logically white! Then he said that the young girl and her father were free to stay on his lands, their entire debt erased."**

**Then, the three humans begin to laugh…The solution was here, at her feet. The young girl used the cheating of the Lord to her own use! And she solved the problem using the logic…and a little ruse.**

_My peers are wrong…Humans have a logical brain! _

**Spock looks at his stoic father then at his mother and her parents with news stars in his eyes. His brilliant mind is at work! Suddenly, he stands up and says excitedly: "Father! Grandpa! I have the answer to my problem!"**

**Sarek has just the time to say his disapproval in front of such emotional behavior.**

"**Spock! Don't run! Your solution will not fly away!" Sarek says but Spock disappears so fast in the house that Sarek can only sigh loudly.**

"**Sarek, don't chastise him. He is so young. Spock is a good son, a good little vulcan…You can be proud of him!" Charles says to Sarek.**

"**I am proud of him, Charles."**

**The next day, Spock arrives at school with a small smile, quickly suppressed at the sight of his classmates and teacher, T'Larhi. The teacher asks if someone has succeeded to solve the problem.**

**Spock gives a circular look at his classmates then he stands up and claims: "Yes! I solved the problem…"**

"**Approach, Spock. Give us the answer." T'Larhi says, masking her surprise and her disappointment!**

**With a confident tone, Spock gives his answer then remains silent. All of his classmates are stunned like his teacher who reluctantly admits his success!**

**Spock stands proudly in front of her, knowing that dark eyes are on his back. He can sense their jealousy and their hatred but all of this doesn't matter…**

**Later, on the way back from school, Spock thinks that today was the best day of his life! The number one in his new Top 10!**

_**The end.**_


	3. This is the end

_Well, I know nothing about Vulcan physiology but I can easily imagine this could be true..._

**This is the end.**

**One day, in the playground of one school of Shikkar.**

"**I heard the nurse saying that he is dying!" One child said.**

"**This was predictable! My father says that he is the sole hybrid alive! Nobody knows what his life span is!" Another child said without a sign of sorrow in his voice.**

"**Mine says that he is an error of the nature, the result of an experiment: a mixture of Human and Vulcan DNA!" A third child said.**

**Usually, these affronts were said loudly in front of Spock, to make him uncomfortable, but not today.**

**One hour ago, Spock had been accompanied by his teacher T'Larhi at the infirmary. After a discussion with the nurse, she had decided to call Spock's father at the Embassy. He arrived shortly after her call. One stern look at the three boys had sufficed to stop their babbling.**

**Sarek's face showed no sign of worry but his mind was tormented. What happened to Spock? Her teacher said that his son had lost three teeth this morning. Apparently, he was not hurt by his classmates today …at least, not physically!**

**Sarek increased his speed after hearing the boys' comments. In fact, he was furious at these boys but even more at their parents and at himself!**

_**This environment is too unhealthy for the development of Spock! I let this situation lasted too long. **_**He thought, his head remorseful.**

**He found his son seated in front of the nurse's desk, his head bowed and his hands clenched around a small tissue covered with blood. Sarek knew that Spock was trying to contain tears.**

"**Greetings, Ambassador Sarek!" T'Larhi said, not using the proper salute between Vulcans.**

"**Greetings, T'Larhi!" Sarek said in the same tone: cold and indifferent! Antipathy was mutual.**

"**Spock, my son, how are you?" Sarek said, kneeling before his son, he suppressed rapidly the urge to touch him.**

**In response, Spock opened his shaking hand and showed to his father his small teeth in his tissue. **

"**My …My teeth have fallen…Father…And …and two others are moving…I did nothing …They have fallen…" Spock said in a small voice, ashamed and worried, his eyes still lowered to the floor. "Father, am I dying?"**

**"No, Spock! You're not dying!" Sarek answered, looking sternly at the nurse! "But …this is unexpected! We should consult your doctors immediately and ask for your mother to join us! Come, my son!" Sarek said, taking Spock's hand in his, this time, despite the presence of the two women.**

**Only one hour later, Spock and his father were at the hospital. More precisely, they were waiting in the department of genetic research! **

**Spock knew this department and these **_**scientists**_** or **_**doctors**_** very well as he came here, year after year… since his birth. These geneticists were, in fact, involved in his conception.**

**Scans and blood tests were already made when his mother arrived.**

**Spock was seated beside his father in the waiting room. The small boy of eight years old was trying to move his tongue through the hole left by the absence of his front teeth! At the sight of her lovely son, Amanda laughed!**

**Her husband and son looked at her in disbelief!**

"**Oh my…I am sorry my dear!" She said, laughing. **

"**I do not see the comic of this situation, my wife!" Sarek said, worried for the sanity of his spouse!**

"**Sarek… Um…No worry. I will explain." Amanda had begun but the arrival of the Doctor Sorel stopped her.**

"**Sarek, Lady Amanda, Spock…I saw the scans, there is no serious problem! What happened is that Spock has inherited a feature common to humans: the development of its dentition! This is unexpected but as you know, his physiology is always …Well…mysterious."**

"**Spock has just lost his baby teeth!" Amanda said merrily, like this event was the greatest event in his life! Spock looked doubtful…**

_**Humans are crazy!**_** He thought…**

"**Yes…This is right! We have always thought that Spock was like Vulcans in this area. For us, teeth are permanent, while humans lose their first teeth or **_**baby teeth**_** between 6 and 9 years old."**

"**I will lose all my teeth!" Spock said in shock, picturing himself with dentures! **

"**Spock! Don't worry! Your permanent teeth will emerge soon!" Amanda said, taking her worried son in her arms.**

"**That is right, again. The scans show that a second tooth is set up under the first." Doctor Sorel said.**

"**How long it will take until all his teeth …" Sarek began to ask.**

"**We don't know precisely." Doctor Sorel answered.**

"**They …They will mock me…at school." Spock said, still in his mother's arms.**

"**No, Spock. They won't." Sarek said firmly before adding: "They won't mock you because you are not going back to this school! I am sorry my wife if I did not consult you before, but I took my decision today!"**

"**Oh, Sarek! There is no need to apologize! I agree with you!"**

"**Really? …I …I'm not going back to school?" Spock said, without masking his surprise and his happiness!"**

"**Yes. But we have to discuss this matter at home …Not here. Can we leave now, Doctor Sorel?" Sarek asked.**

"**You can, Sarek. Spock, don't worry! What happens to you happens every day on Earth!"**

_**If Spock had been human, on Earth, he would have smiled…revealing an incomplete tooth row!**_** Amanda thought! She shared this happy thought with her husband, telepathically.**

**Later that day, Sarek and Amanda had called their son in the living room. Spock entered and waited in front of both his parents. He knew that they discussed his schooling all the afternoon.**

"**Spock," His mother began. "Your father and I have great news for you."**

"**My son, as you know, my work at the Embassy requires that I return on Earth soon! Since I took the decision to remove you from school, I don't see why you and your mother could not come with me!"**

"**We …We are leaving the planet Vulcan?" Spock said a little worried by the news.**

"**Yes, Spock, we will be away for a period of two months! During these two months, I will teach you science, mathematics, computers and music! Your mother will be your teacher for speech, English among other languages and of course the Terran History…" Sarek said while looking at his wife for confirmation.**

"**Right! And during this period of two months, we are going to visit your grandparents, your great aunt Clara and my sister: your aunt Elisabeth. On Earth, this period corresponds to the winter so …You are going to spend Christmas' Holidays with your cousins!"**

"**Chrismas? My …cousins?" Spock repeated, tasting these new words in his mouth when suddenly his fear reappeared.**

"**Spock, you don't need to worry. Your mother told me that in her last letter, your aunt Elisabeth wrote that your cousin, Timothy, who is 7 years old, has lost his second baby tooth! When we will arrive on Earth, he will probably be like you!" Sarek explained to his son, feeling his fear.**

"**So, they won't mock me?"**

"**Right! Is it not great?" His mother added.**

"**Then, back on Vulcan, a new scholar year will begin and your mother and I will decide which school would be the best for you!"**

"**So, do you agree?" Amanda asked.**

"**Yes, Mother!" Spock said.**

"**Tomorrow morning, I will discuss with your teacher. I will get all your belongings and explain to her that you are no longer her student!"**

"**Thank you, Father!" Spock said, happy that his worst nightmare was finally over!**

_**To be followed...**_


	4. Innocence

_Thank you so much for your reviews! I hope you will like this next one-shot. Spock and his parents are still on Vulcan._

**Innocence.**

Spock is preoccupied. His mother has spent the entire afternoon learning him customs and unbelievable stories about Christmas. These stories were so illogical! Spock is now seated on his favorite bench, in his mother's garden, waiting for his father's return. He has so many questions to ask and he needs some advices too.

Soon, he sees his father at the small portal of the garden. Spock stands up, greets his father and walks at his side, offering to carry his bags. Sarek is not arrived in his office that Spock begins his questioning.

"Father, I have a lot of doubts about human children's beliefs! How can they find realist the story of an old and fat man who can enter easily in a house, like a thief, by a small opening in the roof, a ventilation shaft which is meant to evacuate the smoke of a fire beneath him? "

"Well. I conclude that your mother learned you the Santa Claus' Folklore…" Sarek tells him, the shadow of a smile on his face.

"Yes! She told me that this man can travel all around the planet in a flying sleigh drawn by eight reindeers, using a magical powder! And in order to give a present at each child on Earth, this man visits each house in only one night! Father, it's impossible! I read in the Terran Encyclopedia that reindeers can't fly! They have no wing and the existence of a magical powder has not been proved scientifically…Plus, I have calculated that this would take him a minimum of nineteen years eight months twenty four days to …"

"Spock!" Sarek says, stopping his son's diatribe. "This is called a Fairy Tale. Humans don't really believe in this."

"I know, Father. Adults don't believe in this story. But they find _nice_ that their children believe in this and they act like this was true! Parents use a lot of stratagems to prove to them his existence! For example, they wear disguise. They also drink milk and eat cookies which have been put in a plate for Santa Claus, proving that the old man has visited their home during the night! Father, why do they create these illogical stories? Why do they lie to their children?…Human children are too stupid! And why Mother told me to not reveal the truth to my cousin Timothy? …Father, you say Vulcans don't lie…"

Sarek cannot contain a sigh. He knows that his son is divided between the desire to please his mother and the desire to please him, his father, by following the Vulcan way.

"My son, you have encountered this dilemma before. Do you remember when you chose to lie to your mother…about the cookies … for your classmates?"

"I…I remember." Spock says, bowing his head. He is still ashamed of his lie and his consequences…"I lied because I didn't want Mother to be sad."

"Yes…and you lied for a good reason. And I was not disappointed by your behavior."

"Do you mean that you won't be disappointed if I lie to my cousin?"

"Well. In fact, you don't have to lie… You have to keep the secret of human adults." Sarek explains.

"The …The secret?"

"Yes, Spock. Until the age of seven or eight years old, human children believe in all these tales until they _lose their innocence_ by discovering the truth and become an accomplice of the adults…Like your other cousins, the two older brothers of Timothy."

"Oh…I see. This is like a rite of passage to adulthood …Like the Kahs-wan for a Vulcan..."

"…Someway…Your cousin Timothy is seven years old. This means that next year he will enter the adults' world and share their secret to protect the innocence of the younger children. Your aunt Elisabeth would be disappointed if you reveal the secret…And Timothy would be sad if he discovers too soon the truth… "

"I am eight years old." Spock claims proudly. "I am old enough to share the secret! I am not going to reveal the truth, I promise!" Spock says solemnly while Sarek control his desire to laugh.

"I am sure you can keep the secret, my son. Now, tell me, where is your mother?"

"Um…She is in her bedroom. She says that she has a headache by answering my questions…"Spock says.

"I see. Do you have another question or need another advice?" Sarek asks, amused by his wife's reaction, thinking that she has run away from his son's unceasing curiosity.

"Yes, Father. I am not quite sure about wearing the pullover of Grandma. It is not aesthetically pleasant." Spock says in a serious tone again.

"Well. Can you show me this pullover?"

"Wait here, Father! I come back!" Spock says while running away.

Sarek sighs, Spock has still to gain some control of his emotions. How is he going to behave on Earth, among his human family?

Three minutes later, Spock re-enters the office. He is wearing a red pullover, indubitably handmade by his mother-in-law. On front of it, Sarek recognizes a fictional animal: a smiling reindeer with a big red nose…Once and for all weird and ugly by Vulcan standards.

"So? You like it?" Spock asks to his father, grimacing a little.

"Well…No. But a gift is a gift. I am sure that your Grandmother will be …Uh …pleased that you wear the pullover she has made especially for you!"

"A…Another lie, Father?"

"A diplomatic answer to your dilemma, my son." Sarek answers, as stoic and serious than a Vulcan could be.

"So …Grandma is going to be pleased to see you, wearing the pullover she has made for you…" Spock adds in the same tone but trying to hide a smile.

"Your…Your grandmother sent me a pullover like yours?" Sarek asks, his eyes wide open!

"No. Yours is white …with a hideous green monster on front of it. Mother says that he is called _'the Grinch'_…" Spock explains, innocently.

"Well…A gift is a gift." Sarek sighs.


	5. Rumour

_Thank you all for your reviews !_

**Rumour**

**This little scene takes place in a playground of one school. Three children discuss together.**

"I saw Spock yesterday afternoon! He was with his human mother in the shopping center." One boy says.

"Are you sure? I thought that he was dead." A second child replies. He seems younger than the first child and doesn't contain his deception while revealing his thoughts to the others.

"Tell us what he looked like!" The third boy says. "The last time I saw him, he had lost two teeth inexplicably!"

"I am sure that it was Spock at 99.68%! He is alive but he tries to hide his illness."

"How do you know? Did you recognize his symptoms?"

"Yes. First, as he spoke with his mother, I saw that two other teeth were missing! He was wearing many layers of clothing! He said to his mother that he was hot but she has judged that it was not satisfactory. She added another shirt on top of his clothing then another…"

"What? He was running a fever and his mother has increased his temperature?! Humans are stupid and illogical." The third child sighs.

"This proves that he cannot control his body temperature by himself!" The second child says with disdain. "This half-bred is too weak!"

"Well…This may mask another symptom! Probably that Spock has lost weight and his mother is trying to hide this fact under a lot of clothes! Plus, Spock was wearing a ridiculous hat. I think that Spock is losing his hair too!"

"Wow…Like in a disease due to radiations?" The third child asks. He is the only one who seems concerned about Spock's condition!

"That's highly improbable! The cause is genetic! My father said that Spock and his parents are leaving Vulcan. They are going to live on Earth. Do you think that they hope to find a cure down there?"

"Well…I don't know."

(0oo0)

**Later that evening, a couple discusses in a comfortable bed.**

"Oh my…I am so tired."

"How was your day? I saw that our bags are finally closed. Did you find the necessary clothes, my wife?" Her husband asks.

"Well. Like yesterday, Spock and I have purchased everything we need to survive a winter on Earth! In North America, I mean! We have bought many warm clothes, a coat, hats, gloves, a scarf and sunglasses! But I did not find warm boots for our little son…" She says, disappointed. "Elisabeth says that it snows a lot these days!"

"We could ask to your mother or sister to purchase this item for us, since it is too late now...We are leaving in only two nights!" His husband reminds her while kissing her tenderly on her left shoulder… "This means that it is our last night on Vulcan, Amanda. Are you sure that you are tired?"

"Tired? Who is tired? Not me!" She replies, smiling.


	6. The journey

**The journey**

Spock and his parents had left their home in Shikkar in the middle of the night. Seated in the small aircraft of his father, he was unable to interpret his feelings as these were contradictory but in his mind, leave at night seemed comparable to flee. Should he feel ashamed? He was nervous, anxious, sad but also relieved and happy, excited at the prospect to live a new experiment!

Spock was silent. His nose pressed up against the glass, he tried to recognize the buildings and the roads while the vehicle was slowly flying over the city but the night lighting of Shikkar was insufficient.

Just outside the city, Sarek's aircraft entered a long tunnel in a mountain and arrived in an underground parking. Sarek went out of the vehicle, soon followed by his wife and his son. A dozen of adults Vulcans circled them. Spock recognized many assistants of his father and other members of the Diplomatic Corps Vulcan. Two of them opened the luggage compartment of the aircraft and took the last carry-on of his family. After receiving greetings from his associates, Sarek introduced his wife and his son to the other members of the delegation who were essentially the spouses of his associates.

"I'm sorry my dear son, it seems that you will be the only child on board." His mother said.

Like a good little Vulcan, Spock showed no deception. This was an easy task as he was in fact satisfied to be the sole child.

Spock said nothing and followed close behind his father who headed for the transporter room. Passengers of the flight to New York, on Earth, were teleported on board in group of five.

Earth and Vulcan were 16 light years apart. Spock hoped to see more than the view from the window of his cabin!

After a few minutes, Captain Sor'oth invited Sarek and his associates on the bridge to attend the departure of the ship. Spock hastened to follow close behind his father, sneaking, almost hiding behind the robes of the adults who surrounded him. Unfortunately, her mother understood his attempt and stopped him, restraining him firmly by the arm precisely when the bridge door opened before him!

"Oh no, young man! You already have an appointment with your bed! It's almost five o'clock in the morning!" Amanda said.

"But I'm not tired, Mother!" Spock replied, hiding perfectly his disappointment to be stopped so close!

"Amanda, go and rest in our cabin. Spock and I will join you as soon as the ship will go into warp speed. It will be an experience both educational and entertaining for our son!" Sarek said while putting his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Oh I see. You two are against me. You win, Sarek. But I remind you that he has less than eleven hours to become acclimatized, or Spock will suffer from the effects of jet lag!"

"Need I remind you that Vulcans need less sleep than you, my wife? Spock will be fine. Your worry is unnecessary." Sarek added.

oOOOo

Sarek was seated in front of the main screen, Spock on his lap. The last time that he had held his son like this, Spock was three years old! The little boy's face was unexpressive but Sarek was not fooled, and saw the quiet joy in his son's eyes.

It was the first time that he observed Vulcan from space. The red planet was slowly turning on itself while becoming smaller and smaller as the ship was moving away. It accelerated after a final turn around T'Khut, the twin planet of Vulcan. Spock had briefly expressed his excitement at the increased speed of the ship. Edgy, Spock had fixed the screen intently before relaxing and falling asleep.

He woke up six hours later in a bed, stuck to his mother. He moved a few inches and began to shiver. Why it was so cold in the cabin? The little boy got up, wrapped in a blanket and walked to the dial which displayed the room temperature: 68° F!

"Spock, are you all right?" his mother asked. Her son has been like a hot water bag at her side …

"Mo-mother, why the tem-temperature is so low?" Spock said, his teeth were chattering.

"Spock, the temperature in your aunt's house will be the same. Although I guess that she will increase the temperature for you and your father! Vulcan Embassy on Earth is overheated, in winter as in summer. Wherever you go you will not receive the same attention. Now, you have to dress up accordingly. It is time to join the others for dinner!"

"Dinner? But Mother, we didn't have breakfast yet!"

"My poor child, look at the dial again and tell me what hour it is."

"Eight p.m.?! But this is nonsense! I did not oversleep!"

"You are correct, Spock." Sarek said while entering the cabin. "I will give you the explanation. The ship is already at the New York time…eight p.m. Our ship will arrive in less than 2 hours and thirty minutes, at night!"

"…At night! But I will not be tired!" Spock replied unbelieving, his internal clock indicating it was only 1 pm!"

"Now, you understand the disadvantages of space travels, my son…Get ready for dinner, as I said, we will arrive in orbit of Earth in less than three hours. Soon after our dinner, you will accompany me …We are going to visit the engine room with the Captain Sor'oth…"

Spock, surprised by his father's invitation, had now two eyes shining like stars. He gave up his blanket on the ground and went to the bathroom at warp speed. He was regretting deeply his time spent sleeping.

Two hours later, Spock was watching a small blue planet by one of the large windows of the ship.

"Earth…" He whispered.


	7. An unforgettable picture

**An unforgettable picture**

Spock and Timothy were running from a window to another. Spock was fascinated by the reaction of his human cousin. Indeed, each time, Timothy seemed to be mesmerized by the little show played before his eyes. Each store was decorated with dolls and teddy bears hanging from the ceiling, like puppets. There, dolls were dancing together. Here, teddy bears were eating some cakes. All their repetitive movements were stage-managed by a rudimentary mechanism. In fact, the twines were even visible. His aunt and mother had finally decided to take them to the mall, in order to buy new boots for Spock and to make a special picture of himself with an old and fat man dressed in red, with a white beard. His name was Santa Claus… That was an old Terran myth, had explained his father. Each year, thousands of children would go to a mall and would have a hologram or picture of themselves, seated on the lap of this stranger…and that picture would make their parents happy! This was an incongruous and illogical tradition but never mind! Spock would follow this tradition to please his mother!

And now, Timothy and his cousin were standing in a queue. There were already a dozen of kids waiting their turn, discussing the gifts they would like to receive this year. Because saying confidentially a list of toys into the ear of the old man was also necessary.

oOOOo

"Father, what should I say to him?" Spock had asked before leaving with his mother. Sarek was so occupied with his new functions at the Embassy that he couldn't go with his wife and son.

"Well…The fact to know that your mother and I will offer you a game console will be a great help for you. This game console is identical to that of your cousins. You seem to have found a lot of interest in it these last days, given the great amount of hours you spent…"

"Sarek," Amanda said both furious and disappointed. "You should not tell him! It was a surprise!"

"Amanda, I do not see the interest for a false Santa Claus to ask these kids what they would like as gift if their parents have already bought their presents! It's illogical in addition to be dishonest. What would happen if they hope to receive a computer and receive a book in the end? I don't understand your reaction. Would you really like to see our son disappointed?"

"Oh my…"She sighed. "Okay, I admit that you're right. In this case, we may as well ask him which video games he wants in addition to his game console. And please, do not talk to me of these mathematical puzzles and other educational games you have already bought! Spock, what would you like?"

Spock smiled inwardly. He had dreamed of having his own console since he started to play with his three cousins. Alas, not having his own, he had to borrow one of his cousins. Plus, the consoles could be connected together and some games could accept four players at a time …Like his cousins, Spock especially liked that game where he could pilot a ship, while destroying targets like meteorites or other enemy vessels which were in his path, although he thought that avoiding them was funnier. He had become a master at this game in only a few hours, according to Alex.

Alex was the oldest of his three cousins. He was 13 and he often lent him his console to play with Timothy and Kevin.

"I…I like playing at '_Traps in Space IV'_…" Spock said with a tiny voice. If Sarek knew that game, he might disapprove the choice of his son. It was indeed a violent game with intergalactic war in background…A curious choice for a Vulcan, particularly this one, son of an ambassador who solves this type of conflict…

"A strategy game which also requires some flight skills …despite the fact that it's a game based on space fights and wars…it is an acceptable choice. I agree. What other games would you receive?"

Encouraged by his father and his mother, Spock produced a list of video games which could be played alone or with others kids. His father was satisfied with all his choices, despite there were only recreational games.

oOOOo

Finally, they didn't wait long. Timothy, strafed by the flashes of the photographer, was finishing his long list of wished toys when Spock heard a noise behind him. A young man was reprimanded by the photographer's assistant.

"Damn it! You're late again! Shit! It is the third time this week!"

"I know…I'm sorry. I lost track of time…" The young man said. He had a medium size, brown hair with incredible blue eyes, and seemed to be 10 years older than Spock.

"Yeah…You lost track of time reading one of those medical books again, right? Listen my boy, I know that this job is not the one you dream but this job pays part of your medical studies …although I still not understand why a doctor's son has to find a job to pay for his studies…Well, dress yourself with that costume of elf and join the others!"

"The costume of elf? But I already made it yesterday! I had to wear the reindeer costume today!"

"An elf, a reindeer… same thing! Both costumes are ridiculous! Now stop grumbling and put correctly those ears!"

"Oh God! I hate this job…I hate kids, I hate the green and I hate elves! I want to be a doctor, not a Hobgoblin!" He said while adding hastily a pair of pointed ears in silicone over his round ears.

"Len, watch out for what you say! If your uncle was not the owner of this store you'd be fired and already back in your native Georgia!"

Spock could not help smiling at the young man dressed like an elf and standing behind the chair of Santa Claus. The assistant was correct. This costume was ridiculous. The red tunic, the green hat with a bell, the shoes with pointed ends and the two false pointed ears that made him look like a Vulcan, except that these ears were too big for his head…

"Next," Said the old man in the red suit. As agreed, Spock sat down on his lap, quickly talked about his list of video games while staring at the photographer, without a smile, of course. He was Vulcan! Then he joined Timothy, his aunt and his mother.

Once at home, Amanda took the picture and showed it to his husband and his brother-in-law.

"And now…this is the first picture of Spock with Santa!" Amanda was smiling.

"Too bad that the elf behind him did not smile…" Eric said.

"It's normal that he does not smile…He hates elves!" Spock explained.

The end


	8. The Birthday cake

_In this story, Spock is nine years old._

**The birthday cake**

Spock and Sarek are walking in the downtown of Shikkar and its shopping streets, in order to buy a birthday cake.

Vulcans don't commemorate their birth. This is not a Vulcan custom. Indeed, they see no reason to make it a special day. They even find illogical to eat a pastry to mark the event…and yet, Spock and Sarek are there. Why? The reason is simple. Amanda wished to celebrate the 75 years of her husband and Sarek finally agreed after several hours of negotiations. However, he obtained her promise that his anniversary would be celebrated in the strictest privacy! He wanted no party; Sarek had enough of it during his diplomatic missions. He just wished a more elaborate meal than usual, shared with his dear wife and son, at home! Of course, there shall be a birthday cake for dessert, following the Terran custom.

Having refused to receive gifts, Amanda decided to let his husband choose _his_ birthday cake!

It is a secret to anyone that Sarek's tastes are not only turned toward the Earth females…Sarek is also fond of Terran pastries. That's why Sarek is now with his son in the one and only Terran cake shop of Shikkar!

Spock is observing with curiosity the shop which offers a wide variety of cakes, all more appetizing than each other: strawberry pies, pecan pies, Key lime pies, cheesecakes, tiramisus, carrot cakes, brownies, blueberry muffins and a lot of other creamy cakes! All these pastries and aromas tickle his senses!

Sarek, although he is a Vulcan able to control his body reactions and his emotions, is not indifferent to the sight of all these exquisite pastries.

Seeing his Adam's apple going up and down at a furious pace is enough to prove that he swallows in an unusual manner…or to use a Terran expression: it made his mouth water…

_Is Gluttony an emotion?_ Spock thinks, having himself some difficulties to control his saliva.

"Father, have you made your choice?"

"Yes, I have. This carrot cake seems acceptable…" Sarek said after seven minutes and twenty six seconds of thinking. The cake is covered by a vanilla icing, white with small marzipan roses.

"Its appearance is satisfactory but it is too small!" Spock notices immediately, in a serious tone. The young Vulcan stands straight, his hands clasped behind his back in a perfect imitation of his father.

"…Is it too small? Well… it is written here that this cake is suitable for four people… its size seems correct to me, remember that we will only be three to consume it!"

"Yet, a carrot cake of this size seems more appropriate!" Spock replies pointing to a large cake for 15 to 20 pieces!

"Spock, it would be illogical to buy this cake!"

"But, Father, Mother did she not say she would follow the Terran tradition?"

"Indeed, my son…"

"In that case, Father, remember the eighth anniversary of my cousin Timothy! There were eight small candles on his birthday cake…If one candle represents one year of your life, the size of your cake should be proportional to your age and not to the number of your guests…I think that Mother would be able to put 75 candles on this cake!" Spock explains.

"Well, your reasoning is logical, Spock. In this case, I guess we have to actually take this one!" Sarek says with a satisfied nod before calling the owner of the pastry shop, a jovial and debonair human. Then, Sarek asks him to deliver the big carrot cake to his home that same evening!

…_a few hours later…_

"SAREK, SPOCK! Have you lost your mind?" Amanda shouts. She has two candles in her hand. The first candle has the form of a 7 and the second has the form of a 5. "This cake is too big!"

"Forgive me, my wife, but I thought that such a cake was a logical choice after that our son reminded me the use of birthday candles…"

"Logical? YOU THOUGHT IT WAS LOGICAL?!"

"Mother…Where are the seventy-five candles for his birthday cake?" Spock asks. Assuredly, his knowledge about birthday folklore is incorrect or incomplete. Then, he turns toward his father who is still staring at his mother with a little smile on his face.

"Sarek…" His wife says, disapprovingly. "The logic has nothing to do with this…Would it not rather your gluttony that guided your choice?"

Sarek, his hands still clasped behind his back, merely raises an eyebrow, taking the most innocent look. A five years old child would not have reacted differently to such an accusation!

"And you are seventy five years old!" She sighs.

_**The end**_


	9. The Smurfs

_For Michele, this is the translation of my last chapter of "un enfant à part". Thank you for your reviews. _

**The Smurfs**

Once again, his mother had barely put the platter of lasagna on the table that Spock was filling his plate as if he had not eaten since two weeks!

_He has a good appetite_, his mother thought, smiling. _It's so strange that he does not take some weight…He is so frail despite his obvious gluttony._

Spock, despite he was 13, was always skinny and so small in comparison with his classmates. He had entered the difficult period of adolescence but unlike his peers of the same age, his muscle mass was undeveloped. This fact and his height were source of mockery and quizzical looks.

_No doubt that his hybrid physiology is the cause of all of this…Soon, he will grow like a mushroom like all the men of my family. I just hope he will not suffer from acne, it would be worse for him in that case, his classmates are already so rude with him, _Amanda thought. She was regretting the past, when her little boy asked her thirty-six questions per hour. Spock, who was so curious about everything when he was a little child, was now a young silent boy locked in his solitude…

Suddenly, a terrible doubt crossed her mind. Her beautiful smile disappeared in one second.

"Spock, what did you eat at lunch today?" She asked. Of course, she already knew what was at the menu of the school canteen, as she received like all the other mothers, a complete and detailed list of the meals served at the canteen for the next three months.

Twenty seconds had passed, and still no answer from Spock. Now, Amanda was sure that something was wrong with him. He could not have forgotten what have been served for lunch! Her husband too had noticed the uneasiness of his son. His fork still in hand, his gaze plunged into his plate, Spock seemed to have suddenly difficulties to chew and swallow what was mixed vegetables!

"Spock! Answer your mother!" He said, with a neutral tone. For some time now, his connivance with his son had faded. According to his wife, this was another phenomenon due to adolescence. When he saw Spock's sealed lips, he realized that his son would never give the right answer…

"Spock! What's going on this time? I'm sure that it is those same boys' fault! They steal your lunch, right? Or, they block your access to the canteen?" Amanda asked. She was furious. Spock was constantly the target of insults by three of his classmates and three other students, older than him. They simply refuse his existence! The hatred toward her son had been growing since a few months. Perhaps, once again, the fault of the hormones! Amanda always wondered how far they could hurt him…Spock had to defend himself with his fists twice already.

Spock didn't answer. He left his chair in a flash, retreating to his room.

oOOOo

A few minutes later, Sarek entered the room where his son had taken refuge. He approached slowly his son who was curled on his bed. Sarek could sense his anger mixed with shame.

_Please, be forgiving. Don't blame him if he lets his emotions escape,_ had pleaded his wife.

"Tell me what's happening, my son."

"Specify!" Spock replied.

"What has happened today and the other days, at the canteen?"

"You already know!" Spock replied, dryly.

"No, I do not know. Otherwise, it would be illogical that I ask you."

Spock was staring at the window since a few minutes. The night had fallen over the city.

_Spock's gaze seemed to always soften at the sight of T'Khut_, Sarek thought. _Stars always have this effect on him…_

Spock sighed, then he added: "They …They throw my meal tray in the recycler before I have the time to touch it…They say…They say they want to test my resistance to hunger and thirst…A real vulcan is able to stay several weeks without eating. This is not my case, Father, I'm always hungry!"

Sarek would have smiled if he had not been a Vulcan. When he was 13 years old himself was always hungry! Although vegetarian, he would have gladly eaten a Lematya!

"Spock, this is not an anomaly. You are growing…"

"I'm growing, really? Father, I am always the smallest in my class!" Spock said, rising from his bed suddenly, his anger returned.

"Spock, calm down!" Sarek ordered before biting the inside of his cheek.

_Too late,_ he thought, regretful. I just made the error to ask my son to control his emotions while he is in the middle of a storm of emotions, alas not the last of his teenage years…_Amanda was right, now he will be locked in his carapace and will never confide in me again!_

"Spock…Forget what I have just said. You can talk freely with me, my son…" Sarek said, gently. "Did you talk with your teacher about this?"

After a few minutes of silence, Spock answered his father: "I told him. But without an evidence of what's happening, he refuses to believe me."

"And what about the cookies made by your mother, those she gives you for the middle of the afternoon?"

"There is a student, he is older than me …He confiscates all of them when I arrive the morning. Then, he shares with the others."

"I see…Spock, I will come to see your teacher tomorrow."

"But…No! We have no proof! He won't believe me!" Spock replied.

"My son, I want you to trust me!"

oOOOo

The next morning, Spock arrived in front of his six tormentors.

"Spock! Give me what your whore of human mother cooked for you!" the older boy said, with a hateful voice.

Spock took the small bag containing his blueberry cookies, those his mother prepared for him and give it without a word. He quickly moved away then looked at the six classmates already eating their booty.

Sarek entered the class of Spock two hours later. Soon, a heated argument made all of the students stopped in their reading.

"Spock! Come here!" His teacher had difficulties to stay impassible. After a small sigh, Spock obeyed and walked toward his teacher and father, all his steps were accompanied by whispers from his classmates.

Ten minutes later, the three were in the office of the director. One by one, the six accused arrived in front of them.

"Sarek,I already knew about Spock's accusation. I disagree with your action. Why did you barge in your son's class? I would have preferred you take an appointment with me. Your son carries serious charges against his classmates…all of them are sons of noble families…" The director said in a neutral tone. Unlike the teacher of Spock, the old Vulcan showed a perfect control of his emotions.

"And I would have preferred to be informed of those racketeering sooner!" Sarek replied dryly, masking his anger.

"Spock has no proof!" His teacher said.

"You want a proof…I have one." Sarek said, calmly.

Suddenly, the six tormentors of Spock were staring worriedly at Sarek while Spock was confused. What evidence had his father? Was he present this morning, when they have stolen his bag of cookies? Did he take a moving picture of the scene?

Sarek was now pacing back and forth in front of the six boys, all in line.

"So, you claim that you had not taken my son's property this morning…"

"Yes, Sir!" They responded with one voice…probably thinking that unity is strength.

"In that case, stick your tongues out at me!" Sarek ordered.

Spock's teacher shook his head in disbelief while Spock and his peers were raising their eyebrows. Had they correctly understood the request of the ambassador?

One by one, the six boys obeyed, looking at their comrades with a sudden fright! Indeed, their tongues were blue!

Spock, like a real Vulcan, controlled his wish to laugh out loud! Well, at this time, he was more Vulcan than his classmates with their blue tongue and their green skin!

"Sarek! What is happening? What did you do?" the teacher yelled in panic!

"This is the proof that they have eaten the blueberry cookies of Spock this morning. They have been made by my wife, using a synthetic substance called Methylesinol blue, a food coloring used on Earth to amuse children. It enters the composition of candy having the property to give the color blue to their tongues. Children used them for jokes, they call those candy the tongue of Smurf.

Spock was staring at his father with laughing eyes. How could he have forgotten this acid candy with wonderful colors? This had been the favorite joke of his cousin Timothy during Christmas Eve, seven years ago. He had been the witness and the accomplice of his crime. Both his aunts, uncles and grandparents had been granted with a blue tongue, Timothy having mixed the blue substance with their black coffee! Sarek was the only one to be spared, as he chose a cup of tea instead of coffee.

"I fear that my wife, who made these cookies last evening, used an inappropriate dose…Usually, the coloration disappears in two or three hours…I'm afraid that in their case, it lasts more than a day…unfortunate, is it not?" Sarek teased, addressing an inconspicuous smile at his son. During this short time, Sarek had regained his connivance with him and was secretly happy with this.

Soon, the director summoned the parents of his six racketeers. Their punishment was their immediate expulsion from school. They left with their parents, walking in silence. The head down and for some of them, a hand over the mouth in order to hide their monstrous blue tongue!

"Spock, I have to return at the embassy now. I will see you tonight." Sarek said, meaning that this evening he will discuss with him. Spock did not fear that discussion. On the contrary, he was looking forward.

oOOOo

That afternoon, when he returned from school, Spock joined his mother in the garden. Amanda was among her roses, secateurs in hand. She smiled when she saw him.

"Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, Mother. Thank you for your blueberry cookies…and your special ingredient!" Spock said.

"Well, you know, this was an idea of your father…"

"Mother…I have a question…What is a Smurf?" Spock asked his mother. Amanda put the secateurs and her gloves on the bench, and then turned toward her son. She was so happy to answer her curious little boy's question!

"Well…Smurfs are little blue creatures living happily in their mushroom houses in a huge forest…" she began her story.


	10. A cabbage story

**A cabbage story**

Once again, the heat of summer is spreading in Shikkar. After a few months spent on Earth, Sarek has to admit that he is struggling to acclimatize to the high temperatures of his native world. Like every day, he walks home, picturing the freshness of his house in his mind while his feet are treading the hot sand of Vulcan.

Soon, he arrives in front of the gate leading to the garden and is surprised to find his wife here, her two fists on her waist, staring at her roses.

_She seems to be upset_ _despite that her roses are beautiful… Unlike me, they are really well acclimated to the temperatures of Vulcan. That's strange._

"Amanda, what are you doing in the garden at this time? It is not safe for you to be outside the…" He begins.

"SAREK, you must have a discussion with our son! Shh! Don't interrupt me!" she replies, putting one finger firmly on his mouth. Sarek sighs. Who has interrupted him in the middle of his sentence in the first place?

"Sarek, I know that Vulcans don't speak about such subjects as the Pon Farr or rather sex, but it is urgent that you have this kind of discussion with our son!"

Is it the heat of Vulcan or the sudden request of his wife, the fact remains that the face and the ears of Sarek have taken a greener color!

"My wife, is it in order to tell me all of this that you waited for me in the garden? You should be inside and…" He says softly.

"Sarek, do not change the subject!" She interrupts again.

"Amanda, Spock is only 8 years old. He is too young to be interested in …um…sex." He says softly.

"Oh, really?" She asks while following her husband inside the living room where three cups of ice tea and cookies have been prepared for them. Sarek notices that Spock is sitting quietly on one of the cushions arranged around the coffee table, his head buried in a History book.

"Spock, can you tell your father what you did today?" Amanda says while settling at his side, Sarek seated in front of his wife and son.

"Do you want me to explain my day at school, Mother?"

"Well, no my dear…I'd prefer that you explain what happened when you were in communication with Timothy, your young cousin from Earth.

"Oh, indeed. It was a fascinating discussion. First, he asked me if I could answer a question." Spock says.

"And what was his question, my son?" Sarek asks, curious to know where this discussion is going to lead.

"Timothy wanted to know if I knew where babies come from. I answered yes, of course! Then, I immediately asked him if he also knew the answer to his own question and suddenly he launched into an illogical explanation for the least. He told me that a baby boy grows in a cabbage and a baby girl grows in a rose! This is a ridiculous statement!"

"Oh…" Sarek says, puzzled, one of his eyebrows raised. He is looking at his wife and her discreet smile, her cup of ice tea in hand.

"And what did you do next?" Sarek asks.

"Clearly, the source of information of Timothy is not very reliable. Indeed, it is impossible that a baby boy grows inside a vegetable of the cabbage family! Just as a girl cannot get out of a rose! Mother's garden is often filled with roses and I have never seen any female baby getting out from one of such a small flower! His reasoning is highly illogical! Fortunately, I know where babies come from, and I was able to establish the truth!"

Is it the overwhelming heat of the late afternoon that has engulfed the house, despite the conditioned air, or is it that Sarek is suddenly suffering from hot flashes? Pulling the collar of his dress in order to have more air, Sarek looks feverishly at his wife. She is still serene and visibly amused!

"…Of course, Timothy has found my explanations interesting but difficult to understand, although I used simple words in order to remain at his level, he is only seven years old after all!"

"And what were these explanations, Spock?" Sarek asks. His throat is dry and burning despite the fact that he has just finished his iced drink in one gulp.

"It is simple. First, a doctor removes an egg in the tummy of the mother. He extracts the genetic material of the mother and he gives it to a laboratory of Advanced Genetics. There, a team of geneticists put together the genes of the mother with the genes of the father. Then, they inject the entire genome which has been obtained in the egg which is placed in a test tube. After a few minutes, the first cell divides and divides again until a baby is formed. As the baby will become too big for the test tube, the doctor intervenes and puts the baby in the tummy of the mother by her belly button."

"You mean…by her navel? …And …How the baby gets out of the tummy of his mother?" Sarek asks, swallowing hard.

"By her belly button of course! I have read that a baby is nourished in the tummy of his mother via his umbilical cord. I conclude that he is connected to the navel of his mother. I see no other way to get out from her belly and this has more sense that getting out from a cabbage or a rose… Anyway, there is no cabbage on Vulcan!" Spock replies, shrugging and his head in his History book again. "I wonder if T'Pring will let me see her belly button the next time I see her…in order to verify my theory…"

"So, my husband…Are you convinced now?" Amanda asks, smiling.

**The End**


	11. Disagreement

_Thank you for your reviews! I'm glad that my little stories please you!_

**Disagreement**

This odd little scene takes place at midnight, in a house of Shikkar.

"Let me in!"

A feverish Vulcan is staring at his wife in the darkness of a corridor leading to a bedroom, his son's bedroom. His blood is boiling but this doesn't result of his anger. Sarek is a Vulcan. He does not feel or show anger. Soon, he knows it, he will have to act like any male of his species, and soon he will NEED to show another side of him to his wife. But now, he has to control, he has to pretend to be in control. He has to behave like a Vulcan father. Well, he is thinking that he has to. He spent the whole day and the evening at the Embassy and has returned only now at home...

"One of my aids told me what happened. Let me pass, my wife. I have to punish him…He has dishonored his family…"

"Sarek, you won't cross that door!" His wife threatens. She knows that his husband will soon enter his time of mating. She knows that, as his wife, she is going to be there when the time comes but now, she is a mother, and she is going to guard this door like any Lematya mother has to! In his state, Sarek is dangerous. She has to protect her son. Oh, _why this argument must arrive at a bad time?_

"Amanda, you agreed to teach Spock the Vulcan way! He has misbehaved by hitting this boy at the shopping mall today. He would not have broken the arm of his peer. He did not act like a Vulcan."

"You mean, like a pure Vulcan? Do you mean that you would have preferred that your son react like the other witnesses who were there? Do you mean that your son would had to stay right there, saying nor doing nothing when those boys have called me a whore, when these boys insulted him by calling him a sub-product of Human Shit? Do you mean that our son misbehaved by defending my honor when one of those boys pushed me down by my hair? NOW listen to me, Sarek! YOU are going to find him and tell him that you are proud of him …or I swear that I will take him and go so far away in the galaxy that you will never see us again!"

"Noooo! Mother, don't let him alone or he will die! Please, Mother, don't leave him! Please!" Spock, ten years old, has just walked past his mother in order to join his father!

"Do you hear him, Sarek? Do you hear your son taking your defense? Don't you see how much he cares about you?" Amanda shouted, crying. "Is his half-human behavior dishonoring you again?" She adds, furious.

Sarek is watching his wife and son with disbelief, his son is apparently aware of his state and its consequences.

"Amanda, my beloved wife…I …I wasn't told that you have been hurt and threatened by those boys…I …I'm sorry…" Sarek can't hold back his own tears while watching his brave son with a proud look. "Yes…I'm proud of him …and of his Human mother…" Sarek replies while watching his son intensely. "I …I must meditate now…in our bedroom." He adds before stroking the hair of his wife with a shaking hand.

"And I will be there soon…" Amanda replies, tenderly. "First, I must call my sister. It is 3 am in Seattle. She agrees to take our son with her for a small vacation…" She smiles at Spock and Sarek. "Your cousins and grand-parents will be happy to see you again!"

**The end**


	12. The seed

**The seed**

According to Spock, the conference on Babel will begin in twenty two hours and thirty six minutes.

Her husband having been allowed to leave Sickbay for their quarters aboard the Enterprise, Amanda decided to invite Spock and his two best friends for dinner.

Leonard was glad to spend the evening with Amanda and Sarek, and saw the opportunity to ask them a few questions, once again, on his favorite topic: Spock's childhood.

"Please, can you tell us more about him, Amanda? What kind of child was he? Was he shy? Was he already stubborn with a logical mind? You have certainly some stories to share!" Leonard said with his best charming smile on his face.

At his side, Amanda was also smiling while bringing a glass of wine to her lips. "Well, I have some _interesting_ stories but…my husband has asked me to not reveal them, in order to not ridicule my son before his friends…"

"Sorry, Bones, there will be no revelations tonight!" Seated in front of him, Jim began to laugh at the Doctor's discomfiture.

Spock and Sarek looked at each other and after what seemed to be an eternity, Sarek broke the silence.

"Indeed, some of these stories could embarrass Spock…However, If Spock agrees, I can tell you a story in particular, a story that I _cherish_ and that Spock himself does not remember…"

Spock hesitated but eaten up with curiosity, he nodded in agreement.

Sarek put his cutlery next to his plate and began to speak before an attentive audience.

"_I perfectly remember that day. Spock was 4 years and 3 months old. He had spent the morning to observe his mother, who was planting seeds in our vegetable garden. He entered my office. He approached my desk and handed me the small bag he had in his hand. Then, he explained that I had to select one of them in order to give it to his mother. I was somewhat surprised and …curious. Therefore, I emptied the contents of the bag in the palm of my hand. They were seeds. Seeing my puzzled look, he added that he had already preselected these seeds himself. He had kept the most beautiful seeds after having eliminated those which, according to him, had imperfections or defects. All the seeds were perfectly circular and monochrome. I asked him why he had come to see me with all these seeds, why he didn't choose himself one seed to give to his mother… explaining that she would have already planted the seed with the others in the garden. With seriousness, he responded that it is the father who gives the seed to the mother…in order to be swallowed by her…as a result of that, after several months in her belly, the seed will grow and will become a baby brother or a baby sister…"_

While taking his glass of wine, he looked at Spock, with a barely perceptible smile on his face. Spock copied his father, also hiding his smile behind his glass. Amanda had tears of joy in her eyes, while Jim and Leonard were laughing, already asking for another story.

_**The end**_


End file.
